66 MOUNT EREBUS AND
west side of McMurdo Sound on the i3th. On the i5th, as they
ascended the Ferrar Glacier, Priestley began his geological survey.
This is not the place in which to record the scientific achievements,
but the party's experiences are of interest. The junction between
what were then called the North and East Forks of the glacier,
at a height of about 4,000 feet, was reached on December zoth.
The grandeur of the scenery impressed the party, as it had impressed
Captain Scott. A bleached skeleton of a seal was found 40 miles
from the sea.
On December zyth the return was made down the glacier.
The weather was unpleasantly warm, the snow thawing and the
men getting wet, which is very unusual in Antarctica. Professor
David's Party was expected to meet them at Butter Point and
conduct a joint examination of the Dry Valley. The Geological
Party therefore waited for them until January 6th, 1909, and then
went over to the stranded moraines for 250 Ibs. of specimens. On
the 12th they visited Dry Valley, without waiting longer for David's
Party, and a seal cemetery was found with the skin still adhering
to some of the skeletons. The Geological Party, according to
instructions, then returned to Butter Point, to remain until
January 25th.
On the 24th they were encamped on the sea ice, which appeared
perfectly safe; but when Priestley turned out at 7 a.m. he found
they were adrift. Two miles of open water stretched between them
and the shore and they were moving out to sea. The outlook was
serious, as there seemed little hope of the ship picking them up
or of the current changing its direction. They had four days'
provisions and at once went on reduced rations. The Killer
whales bumped the ice beneath them, and had the floe been thin
enough their end might have been ghastly. Most of the day was
occupied in exploring their floe, which at 10 p.m. seemed a little
nearer to the shore. At 11.30 p.m. they were within a few hundred
yards of safety and still approaching the coastal ice. Camp was
struck with all speed and the equipment packed on the sledge. As
soon as it had been pulled to the side of the floe, about 6 feet of the
moving ice made a momentary contact with the shore and they
rushed over. The floe moved away a few seconds after they had
crossed and this time it went north to the open sea. Next day
the Nimrod was sighted and called by heliograph. A depot of
food was left at Butter Point for the Northern Party, which was
a fortnight over-due when the Geological Party embarked.